In many respects, the NFL has shifted from a sports business to a media empire. However, the media enterprise owned and operated by the NFL continues to make some bizarre moves.
The latest comes from the shuttering of the popular Around the NFL podcast. Both the decision to end it and the clunky manner in which the move was handled become par for the new Goofy Golf course on which NFL Media has been playing of late.
The podcast went dark without warning in May. After getting multiple questions from PFT readers and PFT Live viewers in June, we asked NFL Media’s spokesperson about the show. Multiple times. There was never a response — not even an acknowledgement of the question.
On Sunday, the league announced (in a weird sort of way) that Around the NFL is no more. One of the three hosts, Gregg Rosenthal, will move to a different show. The other two, Dan Hanzus and Marc Sessler, are leaving NFL Media.
Some fans of the show aren’t reacting well. And for good reason. When most shows end, there’s an announcement. A farewell episode. Closure.
For Around the NFL, it was here one day, gone the next, and never to return. With no explanation other than, “Hey, here’s a brand-new show! Please pay no attention to the fact that two loyal, long-term employees aren’t here anymore!”
While it’s not surprising in light of other non-people-friendly moves the “football is family” NFL has made this year, this one carried with it weeks of uncertainty, confusion, and silence until one of the slowest weekends of the year, when the news was leaked to one specific outlet and amplified by the NFL Media X account.
Although the NFL does a great job of producing and presenting football games, it’s not nearly as good at running a media operation. Unless, of course, the goal is to run it into the ground. If that’s the objective, great job.
